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Jun 30, 2024

Marshall University Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.2

Organization 4.4

Spectators 3.0

Number of comments: 208 [displaying comments 71 to 81]

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V. K. from Weirton, WV (11/22/2010) "Perfect Small-Town Marathon" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my very first marathon and I had an amazing day! The expo is really just a packet pickup, which is totally fine by me. Getting to and from the race is very easy. You can park a block away from the start, in the stadium where you finish, so you can stay warm in your car. The race was very well organized. A 7-minute delay at the start isn't that big of a deal. There was plenty of water, Gatorade, and port-a-johns along the course. Some say the course was boring, but I liked it. You get to see the good, bad and ugly of Huntington. Not that it was really ugly - I actually loved seeing everything. The director said they may change the course. I hope they don't, because I liked it. The volunteers were amazing! There may not have been a lot of spectators, but the volunteers were very cheerful and friendly. The finish was fun; running with the football and on the field was a nice touch. Just tell those guys handing out the medals to actually put them on our necks and not to just hand them to us. I ran 26 miles! ;) Loved this race and couldn't ask for a better first!
A. V. from Huntington, WV (11/22/2010) "Fast, flat course" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The Marshall Marathon is well organized. The course is flat and easy, and it has plenty of water/Gatorade stands, with a variety of scenery including the Ohio River, Ritter Park and Marshall University's campus. It is a great race to try for a qualifying time. This is the only race of any kind where I have had a free burger at the finish line.
D. N. from Iowa City, IA (11/22/2010) "Great all-around experience." (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 A buddy of mine and I traveled 10.5 hours to get to this race and were not disappointed. The packet pickup was easy to get to and the pasta dinner was staffed with some very friendly volunteers who seemed happy to see us. We knew going in that this was a smaller race and maybe it was because we ran together that I didn't notice the so-called "not so scenic areas." That's not why I came here anyway. I thought the couse was fine; it was certainly flat. The finish in the stadium was worth the trip itself. The race was reasonably priced considering it included a fleece and the pasta dinner. I did purchase the race shirt also, as it was too good to pass up. The medal is top-notch. Kudos to the race director, as I think I even got a pre-race question answered directly by him. I enjoyed our brief visit to Huntington and will definitely recommend.
J. H. from Huntington,WV (11/22/2010) "Great flat course and organization" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Loved the course. Weather started out cool but perfect. Parking was good for start and finish. Shirts and fleece rocked.
s. r. from Cincinnati, Ohio (11/21/2010) "Flat, fast and easy to get to." (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Marshall University Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The lack of a starting mat is an issue if you are trying to BQ - where seconds count. But if you know that, just move up to the front of the pack... that is not a problem. This is a nice, friendly, small-town race. If you need crowds to motivate you, pick another marathon. But if you like to drive up to the start and get out of your car 5 minutes before the gun, go to Huntington. And if you sign up early, it is a bargain: a fleece, pasta dinner and great food after the marathon. I have run this twice (2008 and 2010) and had a good experience both times. My daughter had an issue with being listed as a male and contacted the race director; within a few hours he communicated with us and that was corrected... very impressive!
S. F. from U.S. (11/18/2010) "Chip Timing????" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Marshall University Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 No mat at the start of the race. Why have chip timing?
S. C. from O Fallon, IL (11/18/2010) "Good small to mid-size race" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 All in all, a well organized event. No problems with registration and organization was good. Highlight was getting to be warm before the start in one of the campus buildings/bathrooms and then just walking out to the start 10 minutes before gun-time. Small, but big enough that you don't feel you're running alone. What I didn't like: the fleece was kind of cheap. Maybe I expected too much? The roads are heavily cambered for much of the race. Course direction broke down at a couple points, and with the exception of the park, the course is a bit boring.
T. M. from Chicago (11/17/2010) "Flat, good & bad scenery, nice stadium finish" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Overall, it's a nice event, and flat for sure, so a good place for a PR. Since it's in a small town and a small race (517 finishers), you are running by yourself a lot. The one unacceptable part was that the start was almost 10 minutes delayed in the 26-degree freezing cold. Agree that they need a starting mat.
T. S. from Indianapolis (11/15/2010) "Go fast; correct spelling is optional" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 A flat course that gets 5 stars for how fast it is (a 3-minute PR from this participant) but 3 stars for the scenery. The park and campus are nice and the brief run along the river was gorgeous, especially the first time through with steam coming off the water. Other than that, it was ho-hum. Loved the finish on the football field, though I was disappointed by the lack of finishing photo. Would have been nice to have my touchdown dance immortalized. Finish photos were posted, but I'm thinking the photographer must have been on potty break when I came through because there was a 4-minute gap. Much of the course is shared with autos, but kudos to police and countless volunteers who were at every intersection. A bunch of water stops, and great volunteers there, too. Perfect weather (high 20s to low 40s) with virtually no wind, which I'm guessing is pretty much the same every year. I hesitate to give a lower rating for spectators who brave the frigid temps to cheer us on. The ones who were there were great. But if you need roars from thousands (I don't), go someplace else. Easy packet pickup and plenty of parking near the start/finish area. I also wondered about the lack of a starting line timing strip. Because I didn't know where the start was, I probably started my watch 20 seconds late, so who knows if my time is accurate? Great medal with nice design and solid construction, and unlike so many these days, not as big as a small plate, so it actually will fit on my wall. A minor quibble, but how is it that the word "MARSHALL" on the bib has one too few "L's?"
E. S. from Flint, Michigan (11/14/2010) "My most memorable!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 What a memorable marathon! It came highly recommended by my club (the 50 States Marathon Club), and it was more than was promised!! It was a beautiful, sunny day - perfect for running a marathon! Easy packet pickup, park by the start/finish line within feet of everything, open start line, beautiful course through Huntington, and cheery aid station volunteers. My friends and I met so many nice participants through the run! We laid a carnation at the memorial at mile 25, and upon entering the stadium, we were handed a football to carry across the finish line in memory of their football team tragedy. It was so emotional! We walked to the beautiful Marshall University recreation center a few feet away, were handed a towel and showered, changed and drove 6 hours back home! Watch the movie 'We are Marshall' and run this marathon. There is no better one to represent the state of West Virginia!!

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